Ice-cutter for trolley-wires.



No. 690,8l8. Patented Jan. 7, I902.

A. AMBUHL. ICE CUTTER FOR TBOLLEY WIRES.

(Application filed Dec. 6, 1900.) (No Model.)

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Ziacuftorn UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW AMBU l-IL, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

ICE-CUTTER FOR TROLLEY-WIRES.

SPEGIFICAT IONforming part of Letters Patent N 0. 690,818, dated January 7, 1902.

I Application filed December 6, 1900.' Serial No 38,858- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW AMBUHL,of the city of Decatur, county of Macon, and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Ice-Cutter for Trolley-Wires, of which the following is a specification.

,. This invention resides in a sliding cutter attachable to the harps of trolley-poles adjacent to the wheels thereof, so as to hdld the trolley-wheels out of touch with the wire and to substitute sliding friction for rolling friction.

The invention is exemplified in the structure hereinafter described, and it is defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trolley harp and wheel with my invention. attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the upper end of the harp and through the trolley, showing the preferred manner of clamping the cutter in the crotch of the forks of the harp and against the wheel. Fig. 3 is a front view of the upper'end of the cutter.

' Fig. 4 is a front-to-back section through the upper end of the cutter. Fig. 5 is a plan or diagram of the clamp-washer used to secure the cutter in place.

A trolley-wireis shown at 1, a trolley-wheel at 2, a harp for the trolley-Wheel is shown at 3, and in Fig. 2 the termination of the crotch of the harp is shown at 4.

The cutter comprises angarm5, forked at its upper end to embrace the trolley-wire, diverted at its lower end to pass through the space in the crotch of the harp, and diminished on its rear face to approximately conform to the groove of the wheel. The diverted lower end is shown at 8, and this end is screwthreaded at 9 and provided with a nut 14. The diminished face that fits in the trolleywheel is shown at 6, and at 7 is shown a forward-extending shoulder that clamps against the harp in the crotch thereof. An elongated washer llis placed onthe diverted extension 8 of the cutter-arm, and such washer has an enlarged end 1-2,that clamps against the harpstem, and also has the tapered end 13, that fits in the groove of the wheel. The cutter-arm isscured to the trolley-harp by inserting threaded extension 8 through the crotch of the harp back of the Wheel, with the shoulder the groove of the wheel.

it is as easily detached.

7 bearing against the end of the stem of the harp and the rear part of the arm resting in The washer is then I 5 5 placed on the threaded extension of the arm, with its large end bearing against the stem of the harp and its tapered end resting in the groove of the wheel, and the nut 14 is tightened to clamp the arm in place.' The arm then extends above the wheel, and its forked end embraces the trolley-wire and by sliding friction removes Whatever ice may be on the wire while acting as a conductor for the current i of electricity carried by the wire. As a matter of economy the body of the arm is preferably made of cast-iron and the contact surface is made of softer metal detachably connected with' the body of the arm. The contact-block is shown at 15, and it has upward side extensions 16, that conform approximately to the ends 10 of the forks of the arm and fit inside thereof. The upper ends 10 of the forks of the arm are diminished from front to back, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the side extensions 16 of the contact-block are grooved or recessed to receive the ends 10. The contact-block conforms in external configuration to the internal configuration of the crotch of the cutter-arm. It is put into place by slipping its grooved ends inside ends '10 of the arm, and it is secured in place by rivets 18. Whenevera contact-block is worn sufliciently to impair its usefulness, it may be replaced by a new one without the necessity of procuring an entire new arm.

The'device may be carried on cars to be used when needed. It requires but a short time to attach it when occasion demands, and

go What I claim is- 1. A slidable-ice-cutter fitted against the front side of the 'wheel of a trolley-pole and having a threaded end extended through the space between the wheel and the harp, a washer on the threaded extension of the cutter bearing against the harp and against the Wheel and a nut to tighten the washer and clamp the cutter in place.

2. A slidable ice-cutter for trolley-wires comprising an arm forked at its upper endand diverged and threaded at its lower end, a shoulder at the place of divergence to form a clamp bearing, a collar to form the opposite clamp-bearing and a nut to tighten the Washer.

The combination with the harp and the Wheel of a trolley-pole, of a forked contactarm bearing against the front of the Wheel and against the harp, a clamp-Washer bearing against. the rear of the wheel and against the harp and a connection between the fork and the clamp-Washer extending through the space between the Wheel and the fork of the harp.

4. In an ice-cutter for trolley-poles the combination of a forked arm adapted to be clamped against the trolley-wheel, such arm having its ends diminished, and a detachable 15 contact-block forked to conform to the inner surface of the forks of the arm and recessed to receive the diminished ends of the forks of the arm.

In testimony whereof Isign my name in the 20 presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREW AMBUHL. 

